Pennsylvania: Depending on the specific type, bacteria in a woman’s vagina and
cervix may increase the risk of premature birth or protect against it,
according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the
University of Pennsylvania. Results of the study provide groundbreaking
information that the authors suggest could help physicians learn how to
prevent preterm birth, either by eliminating the “bad” bacteria, or
increasing the “protective” bacteria. The study was presented this week
at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting in Las Vegas, and received the March of Dimes Award for Best Abstract on Prematurity.
Premature birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) is the #1 killer of
babies in the United States and the leading cause of death in children
under age 5 around the world. Babies who survive an early birth often
face serious and lifelong health problems, including breathing problems,
jaundice, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays. In
addition to the human toll, preterm birth accounts for more than $26
billion annually in avoidable medical and societal costs, according to
the National Academy of Medicine.
“For the first time in 8 years, the number of pre-term babies in the
United States actually increased in 2016, and unfortunately, there are
underlying causes that doctors still don't understand,” said lead author
Michal Elovitz, MD,
a professor Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Perelman School of
Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, director of the Maternal and
Child Health Research Center at Penn, and a co-investigator for the March of Dimes’ Prematurity Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Decoding the causes of prematurity has been a riddle that’s stumped
researchers and clinicians for years, but our new study is finally
shedding some light on a path toward offering treatment to women we can
identify as being at-risk.”
In the study, researchers examined vaginal swabs from a sample of
2,000 pregnant women, taken at three distinct points in pregnancy, to
determine the microbial colonies that were present. Analysis showed that
among the many specific types of bacteria, some – such as certain
bifidobacterium and lactobacillus species – actually lowered the risk of
spontaneous preterm birth, while others – specifically several
anaerobic bacteria – significantly increased the risk.
Elovitz says the new findings are the result of a multidisciplinary
team of experts from immunology and microbiology, who came together and
took a new approach to the issue, examining the cervix and vagina
instead of limiting the scope of their study to the uterus, as
conventional wisdom would suggest. The authors say more research is
needed to confirm the findings, but if proven, it could mean treatments
targeting “bad” cervical bacteria, or replenishing the “good” bacteria
could be used to prevent premature birth in the immediate future.
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of
Health, and the National Institute of Nursing Research (R01NR014784).